Originally from the United States, western riding, before being a sport discipline, is first, in the ranches, a work riding which consisted at the base in the convoying and the sorting of the cattle. If you have not had the opportunity to practice or to discover it, you have surely discovered western riding on TV in movies about the Far West and the conquest of the West. But what do you really know about this specific riding, far from the classical riding, which intrigues without being too well known in France?
Origins of western riding
Born in the 19th century, western riding was created by cowboys when the means of transportation were far from being as developed as they are nowadays. To transport the cattle to the great plains of the United States, they had no other choice than to travel on horseback to guide the herds. These famous cowboys thus set up a particular type of working equitation: the western equitation.
The aim of this riding was to create a training based on the economy of the horse, as much physically as mentally, and to obtain a availability and a reactivity of the horse as long as possible.
If at the base it was indeed about cattle work, the American riders started to find “games” to occupy themselves during the long days spent watching the cows. It is these games that have evolved over the years into disciplines that are now competed in around the world. The skills required to practice the many western disciplines that exist today are all those that were needed by cowboys while working cattle.
The disciplines of western riding
Whether it’s cattle work, hand work, mounted work or speed events, there is something for everyone in western riding. Here are a few to consider for your next initiation.
Reining is the most well-known discipline in western riding. The only discipline recognized by the FEI and present at the World Equestrian Games, it requires an extreme training of the horse which must be particularly reactive and calm. Turning short, accelerating, slowing down, stopping and all that in a snap of fingers, so many skills that must be mastered by a good reining rider. This discipline can be compared to our classical dressage in the sense that the rider/horse couple must perform a series of figures, called “Pattern” imposed and noted. There are no less than ten different patterns imposed by the National Reining Horse Association. Among the required figures, we find the famous Sliding Stop: this impressive sliding stop of the horse launched full gallop in a straight line. Competitors are also asked to do Roll Back, a half-turn around the hips, and Spins where the horse, like a top, performs a series of spins on the hips at full speed. Horses are also scored on a figure eight of different sizes where they must present their fastest canter and then, in a fraction of a second, switch to their slowest canter. Also, the change of hand is accomplished by a change of foot. In reference to the cowboys who held their lasso in one hand and led their horses with the other, competitors in reining events must hold their reins with only one hand. In terms of scoring, couples enter the arena (not the arena) with a total of 70 points, the jury will then score the figures on criteria of respect for the pattern, calm, balance, and docility and assign scores between -1.5 to +1.5. Depending on the type of event, the pattern is either imposed or choreographed by the rider himself in the “free style” event, where, as in the Free Riding to Music, the figures are performed to the music of the competitors’ choice and are also scored on the quality of the performance, the choice of music and the level of difficulty of the pattern.
Barrel Racing is a particularly impressive speed discipline that arouses the enthusiasm of the public. The principle is quite simple, it consists in performing a course in the shape of a three-leaf clover around 3 barrels (oil barrels) placed in a triangle, as quickly as possible. The horse is asked to accelerate extremely hard, to slow down and to rebalance quickly to turn as short as possible, without knocking over the barrels. The horse must be fast, with blood, but still controllable. It is the fastest riders who win the events, knowing that falling from a barrel causes time penalties. Riders have the choice of running clockwise or counterclockwise: this means they can start with the right or left barrel, depending on the horse’s preferred footing to allow it to be as comfortable as possible and thus be faster. We appreciate the incredible spectacle that this traditionally feminine discipline brings. According to the distance of the barrels, the best times evolve between 13 and 16 seconds: it is thus a very short but very intense effort. One may think that this discipline will “wear out” the horses because of the strong solicitation of the hind legs, but with careful and serious warm-ups, training that solicits other muscles and adapted care, it is possible to preserve the horses at best. Barrel racing does not necessarily have a very good image because it is a discipline that is associated with accidents and mistreatment of horses. To get rid of this cliché and to reassure the riders, the French Federation of Equestrianism and the National Barrel Horse Association of France are strict in terms of regulations.
Inspired by the situations encountered by cowboys, trail riding puts horses in the conditions they must master as working horses for livestock. In competition, this discipline involves an obstacle course that features the difficulties that can be encountered in the wilderness. Among them, three are compulsory at each competition: opening a fence, backing up along a passageway marked by trunks or bars and passing four trunks or bars consecutively. But many other obstacles are authorized if they are fixed, if they do not represent a dangerous situation for the horse and rider and if their height does not exceed 45cm because it is not a question of showing the power of one’s horse but one’s agility. It is a discipline that requires an intelligent and obedient horse and where the trust of the horse towards his rider is essential. The ease of execution and the willingness of the horse are also criteria considered by the judges. Skillful and sure-footed horses will be favored for this type of competition.
The Western Pleasure, which can be translated by the pleasure of the Western consists, as its name indicates it to present a horse which one takes pleasure to go up. Slow pace, regularity of gaits, collected strides and a low head carriage without leaning on the bit are what we look for in these horses. The rider’s objective is to show that his horse does not need to be held back because he does not want to accelerate and thus to emphasize the gentle temperament of his mount. The search for calmness and slowness has not made this discipline attractive to the public, but Western Pleasure is also controversial because of the extreme slowing down of the gaits. However, the judges are not supposed to make the horse that moves the slowest or the one that holds its head the lowest win. The most important criteria are that the horse “moves well”, meaning that the rider can sit comfortably in the saddle without being shaken and that the horse’s movements are regular, with the forelegs going to full extension with each stride, and that the horse is judging himself.
A true cattle job, cutting consists of separating a calf from the rest of the cattle and keeping it away from them. Knowing that cattle have a herd instinct, the one that is separated from the group will do everything to join it again. The horse will therefore have to be very reactive and will have to anticipate the movements of the cattle to keep them away from their fellow cattle. In the United States, these are particularly well-endowed events. In the competition, the “cutter”, i.e., the one who separates the calf, enters the arena with 4 other riders, the “helpers”, to help him. Two of them will prevent the herd from escaping to the sides and the other two will prevent the calf from escaping to the opposite side of the ring towards the jury. The rider has 2.5 minutes to separate at least two cattle (one by one) from their herd and is graded on his ability to prevent the calves from finding the others as well as on his horse’s style. This discipline requires a strong complicity between horse and rider and ideally the horse should have a strong “cow-instinct”, understand the sense of the cows, however this type of horses requires a certain level because they require more control. The rider’s balance is essential: he must stay straight in the saddle, neither too far forward nor backward, to have fixed hands. The horse must learn to stop very quickly, turn around and go back quickly to keep control of the calf.
Team Penning, a team version of cutting, consists in separating the calves of a herd in groups of 3 and bringing them to an enclosed space in a minimum of time.
There are still many disciplines of western riding that deserve to be discovered. Don’t hesitate to ask about Pole Bending (slalom around poles as fast as possible), Horsemanship, where riders are judged on their horsemanship, Showmanship, where the man is judged on his ability to present a horse in hand, or Team Roping, where the goal is to lasso a calf as fast as possible in teams of two.
Which horses can practice western riding?
In theory, any horse can practice western riding if it has the physical and mental capacities to become a good horse according to the discipline. However, American breeds of horses are preferred.
Quarter Horses are common in Western riding. Thanks to its particularly powerful hindquarters and its small, short, and very muscular frame, the Quarter Horse excels in short-distance races, in cattle work and is ideal for all other Western disciplines. Indeed, its willingness and availability as well as its agility, power, balance, and liveliness give it all the skills required for this type of riding. It is therefore very appreciated by riders.
The Paint Horse is also highly regarded for western riding. This breed is known for its piebald color. Like the Quarter Horse, the Paint Horse has a short back and a powerful rear hand. It also has a cold and docile mind, combined with its physical qualities and its rustic side.
Another American breed that has the qualities required for western riding; the Appaloosa is also known for its physique. Its coat is colorful and marked with small spots that look like paint splatters, the white of its eye is clearly visible and the skin around the nostrils and mouth is marbled. Also, its compact design with a strong bone structure makes it very rustic. The so-called “modern” Appaloosa, with a more refined head, a more horizontal neck, “which has more blood through the crossing of Arabian thoroughbreds, corresponds better to the requirements of western riding disciplines than its counterpart, the “foundation” Appaloosa.
Used to bring a little blood at the time of the crossings of most of the preceding races, it is not rare to see these Arabian horses presented at the time of competitions of western events.
The equipment to practice western riding
Different from the one necessary for classical riding, the equipment necessary for western riding is optimal for the respect of the techniques and ethics of this riding. The equipment, to begin with, must respect three fundamental criteria: safety, comfort, and tradition. Concerning the rider, the tradition wants the western rider to wear jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, boots, chaps, a wide belt, and a hat (we advise the bomb of course). But when you start, boots, comfortable pants and a comfortable top will do the trick. As you can see, the key word for your outfit is simplicity. However, in competition, aesthetics is important, especially for girls who often wear flashy colors – and rhinestones.
Although optional, you will appreciate the comfort of chaps that protect you from the cold, the rain and avoid wear and tear on your jeans. You have the choice of length: the work chaps are worn below the knee while the long chaps protect the boots when you are riding.
The western saddle is surely the most recognizable piece of equipment in the western riding kit. It is recognized by its atypical shape and its prominent pommel. As for a classic saddle, it must adapt to the horse’s physique and that of the rider. Contrary to the clichés seen in western movies, the position of the rider on a western saddle remains classic, the heels must be under the buttocks, so the legs must not be sent forward by the saddle.
As recognizable as the saddle, the spurs used for western riding are classics of this equitation. Spurs with knurled wheels, not very discreet and very often decorated, decorated with a chap’s guard, they are worn very low on the heel. There is also a specific model of spurs for barrel racing, which are not knurled.
The bridles used on horses do not have a noseband, unlike the snaffles of classical riding. Their shape and color are very elaborate because we are really interested in the aesthetics of western riding. The bits used are most often American bits, some of which have branches and therefore have a strong action: therefore, the contact with the mouth and the rider’s actions must be light.
The saddle pads used under western saddles are rectangular shaped, short, and thick.
